I am about to buy one of these two boats G23 or X-30. I would like honest unbiased opinions on which one to buy. We want the best wake surf boat for family recreation that does not require a bunch of work or time filling extra sacks, changing weight sides, etc. Thanks

Honest and unbiased? You can forget about it. You came to the wrong forum. Seriously. The only way you are going to get those opinions is by test driving these boats yourself. I just bought an Enzo for surfing and wouldn't consider either of these options as serious considerations for a wakesurf boat. The Enzo is completely plumbed and has stock ballast of 4500 pounds with no bags on the seat and completely fills and changes sides in about 7 minutes. Can you switch sides on the fly? No. Then again, I think its just a gimmick.

On the flip side, I wouldn't consider the Enzo if your main mission was Wakeboarding.

The g23, while might be nice to switch sides on the fly, you will STILL need to fill ballast tanks to make a good wave.

I did a lot of research before I bought my boat, and while NO DOUBT the G23 is flat out beautiful and one of the best Wakeboard boats there are, it's not even in the Top 3 for Wakesurfing.

You should look at the Enzo, Tige with the Convex VX or even Malibu with surf gate if you like the side switching options. Or just know your buying an expensive boat to create a subpar wave for the mission you have stated.

But if I have to pick between these two, I would choose the G23. Rarely have I been so impressed with the fit and finish of a boat, and the G23 was amazing. Not a fan of Mastercraft.

Centurion just announced their FX44. Completely hard tank with more than 4500 pounds of ballast that looks to fill and empty is likely less than 60 seconds (details haven't been announced).

Thanks for the advice. Likely not going with Centurion due to no dealers in my area for service. The Natique dealer also has Malibu and they have said even with Surf Gate it cannot compare with the G23 with NSS for surfing. Keep in mind we are recreational surfers at best. Currently have an X-Star which is totally useless for surfing even with a ton of weight! Have you surfed behind a G23 with NSS?

No. It's so new I haven't gotten a chance. There have been enough people on here that have and have commented that I've formed an opinion. I have also watched enough videos with it. But like I said, that is why you need to ride it yourself.

And don't trust a dealer on comparisons to Malibu. The Malibu is going to be a lot cheaper and likely make the dealer less money. Test drive it yourself. Malibu is an outstanding boat.

And I completely understand about not considering a boat without a dealer. That is what pushed me towards Centurion and away from Malibu and Tige.

The Malibu MXZ22 will be your best boat in the 21-23' range for surfing, wakeboarding, or anything else. Malibu's fit and finish is superior to CC and MC and they don't over engineer their boats. I find Malibu's have a homier feel to them too.

One of the earlier comments said the G23 isn't even "top 3" surf boats. Interesting comment, considering that the person says they haven't even tested it.

I will say this...in terms of stock wake, using only stock ballast, the G23 with NSS is one of the best surf boats out there. Is it "the best" based on stock wake? I guess that's a matter of personal opinion. My personal opinion, after owning a number of wake boats, and testing a bunch of the latest ones last fall, is that the G23 is the best stock wake for surfing and wakeboarding. How will it perform with extra ballast? Not sure. But I do know that a number of the so-called "top" surf boats need a ridiculous amount of extra weight.

Based on my test last fall, I ordered a G23, and it will be here soon.

For anyone who says the G23 isn't "top 3" in surf boats, look up the 100,000 Lakes surf competition last year. That boat threw an insane surf wake on both sides, and wasn't even outfitted with NSS.

Just because you paid a lot of money for a boat doesn't make it the best. Lets see the G23 running a ton of wakesurfing championships like the Tige and Centurion, then I'll believe it.

It speaks volumes that all the serious pro surfers are NOT behind Nautique.

The boat is an awesome boat, and it very well may be the best wakeboarding boat there is.

But I've seen the videos. The wakesurfing wave Is NOT that impressive. And these are FACTORY videos. Could you weigh that beast down enough to make a huge wave??? Sure. But that is NOT what this poster wants to do.

Nah, can't read. Just have the money to buy a G23. I wish I would have come to the interwebs for your opinion before I made the foolish purchase. Ah, gotta love the internet....

And regarding your comment about serious pro surfers NOT being behind Nautique, think about it for a second. The G's with NSS just came out late last season. Furthermore, the pro's surf behind the companies that SPONSOR them. If Nautique decides to start sponsoring pro surfers, then you'll start to see pro surfers behind them. It's that simple.

As for reading, who wrote this: "The only way you are going to get those opinions is by test driving these boats yourself"...but you admitted you haven't tested the G23. Interesting.

This is your mistake. If the G23 was a LEADING surf boat, as the boat HAS been out longer than NSS, it would have serious wake surfers riding behind it. It DIDN'T. The NSS may make this boat more surf able, but NOT a top boat.

Conversely, the Tige was an outstanding surf boat, everyone knows it, and was made BETTER with the Convex Vx. They didn't have to invent hardware or a gimmick to make it decent. Not like the G23.

The fit and finish on the Enzo is not at the G23 level. I know that. But until its actually taken seriously by the wakesurfing world, it hasn't earned consideration for a top spot.

I mean damn, I just you youtubed g23 surf and every single video I watched was really bad. Is there a good non factory video of someone surfing behind a g23?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n01bAV5nAj0&sns=em

So please, I beg you. Can you find a non factory video showing stock weight surf wave I the g23? It would really help your case.

And in case you aren't paying attention, I am showing a LOT of love to other boats that I KNOW have a track record. I do not hate the G23. I have sung it's praises in other ways. But I've seen and heard enough about it to know it is an AVERAGE wakesurf boat.

Look. I'm not trying to hurt your feelings. I have already said its an outstanding boat. Could I be proven wrong? Sure. I just don't think I'm going to be based in what I have heard or see so far, and I think the OP needs to look at some traditional offerings as well.

If they would have designed the G23 to be a surf boat, the NSS wouldn't even be needed. But they designed it first and foremost as a Wakeboard boat and that will always compromise wakesurf function.

Just an FYI, the G23 was designed with the NSS system as an integral part of the boat. The NSS system was not an after-thought. If you get a chance to take a look at one in person, you will notice the transom shape was designed to accommodate the NSS.

Look. I'm not trying to hurt your feelings. I have already said its an outstanding boat. Could I be proven wrong? Sure. I just don't think I'm going to be based in what I have heard or see so far, and I think the OP needs to look at some traditional offerings as well.

CarZin, don't worry, my feelings aren't hurt at all. I've owned a number of boats, and always buy based on my own opinion. If I was worried about what other people thought, I'd have to buy a new boat every week.

So far my research is telling that basically the G23 is the best STOCK boat for surfing. (No added bags) This is with NSS. My main question is...can the X-30 compare to the G23? If you had to pick only bewteen the G23 and the X-30 which one and why?

So far my research is telling that basically the G23 is the best STOCK boat for surfing. (No added bags) This is with NSS. My main question is...can the X-30 compare to the G23? If you had to pick only bewteen the G23 and the X-30 which one and why?

If you truly are a surfer only it shouldnt even be a question. The G23 all day and every day. The very best thing about NSS is you weight the boat evenly and don't have to worry about having all your passengers sitting on top of each other! Only BU can also make this claim. It SUCKS driving a boat that is sac'd out super heavy on only one side with NSS this isn't a issue anymore. Also you like regular side and your wife or friend surf goofy? No problem!!! This is what makes the G23 hands down better than ANY other surf boat out there period! Even Carzins beloved Centurion!!!! Not to mention all the rear facing searing options you get with the G! Dont listen to all the crap I can switch sides in 7min blah blah because it ain't true! If any of those other boats wanna run the weight of what a stock G is using to throw a surf wave then they are taking much longer than 7mins. Not to mention all the hassle checking their bags making sure everything is filling correctly and moving all their passengers to new seating.

Maybe mentioned and I missed it but what boat is the OP coming from anyway?

Thanks for the info. This is basically what I already knew but reading some posts makes a fellow tend to wonder. The fit and finish is superb on the G23 and the surf wake with stock ballasts seen to be the best out there. I have spent too damn much of my days trying to dial in surf wakes on boats. I would think that by now boat companies woudl be figuring out how to make great surf wakes out of the box. Seems like the G23 has done that. My issue was more the MC sales person is adamnent that his beloved X-30 is the best surf boat on the market. Doesnt seem like anyone on this forum woud agree the X-30 is a great surf boat. For us it will be G23 all the way. Expensive as can be, but a spectacular boat too!

I think we need to start from the definition of what "best" means. Your idea of the best might not fit with mine. Is "the best" the one with the biggest stock wake? Biggest wake with added sacs? Longest wake? Nicest curl? How quick you can get surfin'? How the wake looks on both side? How it sits in the water? How easy it is to operate?engine capabilities? Etc etc..

Any vdrive can put out a decent surf wake, it's just a matter of preferences and of course, budget!!
That being said, being a Cc owner I would go for the g23 in a heartbeat but the Mc is probably very nice too

You guys thinking the NSS makes the wave great is super funny. Here is a video of NSS. I would consider this wave AVERAGE. The regular side looks pretty decent but the goofy is sbdolute crap. Have many of you G23 owners even ridden behind an Enzo or Tige?

I don't need to ride this to see it isn't great. And why is it in EVERY G23 video I see, you can see exhaust all of the place

good on Centurion, they have promoted the sport ( wake surfing) more than any other brand by a long shot, sponsored more wake surfers etc. and to the point that people like Car zin think it is the only surf boat and he goes on by saying other brands are wake boats first so they can't be good surf boats, so with that said Centurion's surf boats are not great wakeboard boats ? I didn't say it but there may be something there. And yes there is a guy that is the best wakesurfer in his division without question that had or still has for sale, a newer Centurion 244, had a Nautique before it, and now rides a G23. People are making great surf wakes on boats like X25's,BU, G, etc. (wakeboard boats)

The contention came when someone took offense to my comment about the G23 not being in the top 3 wakesurf boats. If you notice I am just trying to make sure the OP makes a wise decision based on his mission. Centurion isn't even an option for him which is why I was suggesting looking at Tige and Malibu.

Original poster. As I stated from the beginning this is NOT a site for unbiased opinions. You need to go ride behind either a Centurion or Tige with Convex VX. This at least gets you familiar with the power of a properly weighted boat. Then go ride behind a g23 and then the Mastercraft. That's all you need to know. If you are planning on spending over 120k on a boat, you should take a little more time and not buy into marketing hype on faith.

The wave looks good but not the same as other Surf boats.I've seen some Malibu's that when properly weighted have a wave twice as tall and close to double the length.The wave will be fine for a recreational surfer[which is probably what it was designed for originally.Nautique's are know for their stellar wakeboard wakes!

One of the earlier comments said the G23 isn't even "top 3" surf boats. Interesting comment, considering that the person says they haven't even tested it.

I will say this...in terms of stock wake, using only stock ballast, the G23 with NSS is one of the best surf boats out there. Is it "the best" based on stock wake? I guess that's a matter of personal opinion. My personal opinion, after owning a number of wake boats, and testing a bunch of the latest ones last fall, is that the G23 is the best stock wake for surfing and wakeboarding. How will it perform with extra ballast? Not sure. But I do know that a number of the so-called "top" surf boats need a ridiculous amount of extra weight.

Based on my test last fall, I ordered a G23, and it will be here soon.

For anyone who says the G23 isn't "top 3" in surf boats, look up the 100,000 Lakes surf competition last year. That boat threw an insane surf wake on both sides, and wasn't even outfitted with NSS.

@jetranger: dude, can you do anything worthwhile on this site except to stir up ****? Malibu is better quality than CC or MC? Really? They are all well built boats. I'm getting an MXZ but its not better built. Heck if I could get a CC or MC near the price of the BU I would have a hard time deciding. Please try to be helpful instead of stirring the pot. Wish David would just get you off this site.

@jetranger: dude, can you do anything worthwhile on this site except to stir up ****? Malibu is better quality than CC or MC? Really? They are all well built boats. I'm getting an MXZ but its not better built. Heck if I could get a CC or MC near the price of the BU I would have a hard time deciding. Please try to be helpful instead of stirring the pot. Wish David would just get you off this site.

Whoa whoa, just stating my opinion, like we all do on here. In my opinion it is simply a better boat. The 22MXZ is the best wakeboard and surf wake in the 21'-23' field, again, in my opinion.

And if having an opinion is a crime, then color me guilty.

Now answer me this: why, if you could get CC or MC for same price as a Bu, would you have a hard time deciding? I'd still take the Bu no questions asked. Wouldn't you?

I've wondered the same thing. It really is about function. While I live the looks of the g23, if I were having to live with it for wakesurfing, I'd be looking at what I have or a bu or a tige. Definitely not an envy issue. Despite how some might think.

What I am super envious of the G23 is the storage space. Since the centurion has the most stock ballast off any boat produced, it comes at the cost of storage. Band the g23 had a ton of it. But it is a HEAVY 23 foot boat at almost 1000 pounds more than my 23, so I hope it offers the space.

Good to hear Jet Ranger. I am happy. It is so Sik, I agree. The MC sales guy was desperately trying to convince me to buy an X-30. The fit and finish goes hands down to G23. As for wake surfing both are good, but I expect the G23 to be better. Only about 5K difference apples to apples in options.

It's funny when people comment on boats that they don't own, haven't driven, haven't surfed and have no actual experience with them. The X30 produces a world class surf wake. There is no question about it and that is a testament from world class wake surfers, not just joe blows.

Holiday. Yes, I am biased. The MC X30 can produce a world class surf wake. If you are interested, come surf with us and you might save yourself thousands of dollars.

Wow so sexy! That wave is magic and oh so sexy, dirty in a good way, as in, so dirty it belongs on grandmas top shelf in her closet, underneath her stack of old postcards.

Here we've been debating and conjecturing based on the opinions of brand loyalists and imbecile dealers. Thanks VMan for not telling us, but showing us. The Op better try to get his money back from the CC dealer. We should consider the matter closed at this time.

It's a wave and definitely surfable.World class is just a matter of opinion.

If someone said that that wave that VMan posted was from a Tige RZ2 Robert, your joygasm would be visible from space. You'd be laying palms on the ground and blowing white smoke out your chimney running down the streets of Ancient Greece yelling "eureka."

You are predictable and unabashedly biased towards a brand that is simply forgettable.

Mikes V's wave is world class. I rode it down at worlds right after they got the boat and had barely any time to dial it in. Even then i was blown away with the size and power of the wake. Up until then I bought into the Mastercrafts are not surf boats BS. Just for reference I live up here in Seattle and get to ride a lot of different boats. Including mark shers' dialed 244, brandon tollies sacked out rz2 that he sold mid season, and the mendonesia sv230. The X-30 wave is easily as big and well shaped as all those wakes
I also competed in the event in Minnesota that people keep talking about in this thread. sure the wave of the G23 looked great from shore but what you don’t see is the massive board swallowing trough that makes the first 3 or 4 feet of the wave useless. You know that area were 90% of the upper level tricks are initiated. Now this could easily have been that the people weighting the boat just were not experienced enough with that boat yet, and did not get it dialed in. I will say that the G23 wakes LOOKS a lot better with the new "system" in pictures but i have yet to ride it so i cannot and should not comment.
If i had a choice between the g23 and X-39, i would be getting the X-30 based on my experience so far.
\

I have a great dealer but even the dealer acknowledged that the X-25 is not that good unless wieghted properly. They are suggesting X-10 or X-30 as best two options for surf boats. I Need an "out of the Box" incredible wave. That wave looks good from the X-30. I assume the G-23 is better?

I have a great dealer but even the dealer acknowledged that the X-25 is not that good unless wieghted properly. They are suggesting X-10 or X-30 as best two options for surf boats. I Need an "out of the Box" incredible wave. That wave looks good from the X-30. I assume the G-23 is better?

Neither boat will have an "incredible out of the box" wave. Sorry. Both the G23 and X30 need a considerable amount of extra weight to get that done. Both boats can do it with all ballast concealed though...... However, you will need bags.

I have spent a considerable amount of time surfing both boats, and the G23 has nothing over the X30 on the surf wake..... Absolutely nothing. (Disclaimer- that G23 did not have NSS on it yet. But we did have over 3k of added ballast). The G23 has a pro level wakeboard wake, and the X30 does not. That being said, the wakeboard wake, on the X30, is excellent for anybody who is not a pro. Super clean at a wide range of speeds. Great transition, and firms right up with a little extra ballast.

With all of that said, I would take the G23, if the $$ was the same. Realistically though, the X30 should be about $20k less, which makes it a better choice, if you are not a pro wakeboarder. I know we all like to think we are, but lets face it, 99% of us would not benefit much from the G23 wakeboard wake, over the X30 wakeboard wake.

I don't know why anybody would "think" the G23 has a "world class" surf wake...... It is a great surf wake, but it is certainly not in the top 10 when it comes to surf boats.

I demoed a G23 without NSS and sadly only stock weight. It had a good shaped surfable wave with a short pocket.. Typical with too little weight. I have no doubt when properly weighted it would make a great wave.

NSS and Surfgate are both not very appealing to me because I don't want to double the weight in my boat and increase fuel consumption. I heavily weight the surf side and doubling that is unappealing. I am sure I would feel differently if I had any goofy foots in my crew.

I ended up buying the X30. As the pictures above demonstrate it produces a world class surf wake with all the weight under the seats and frankly only a mild list with the weight all on one side. I must admit that a large factor in my decision was the fact that I got the x30 for 25k less than the best g23 quote.

As a summary I have surfed behind every major brand boat (except malibu) and pretty much every model mentioned here when properly weighted and dialed in produce an excellent clean surf wake. Just a few short years ago there were more major brand differences (tige and centurion had the best surf hulls) but thank God the manufactures have heard the surfers cry and now all the major brands have at least one or 2 boats that produce a great surf wave when properly weighted. Currently no boat produces a really awesome wave with just stock ballast in my opinion.

Between the two boats you mention, I don't think you could go wrong frankly. So look at things like price, dealership relationship, service costs, etc.. I think both the Nautique and Mastercraft have awesome build quality and finish out so the quality argument is pretty much a wash..

Great responses really. I am going G23 with 550HP XR. This way I can add bags in the massive storage areas and get an amazing wake. The MC X-30 was 107,000 and the G23 with similiar options was 112,000.00. Only 5,000 more. (I am at 117K on my G23 but I am into a 550HP now) I am not sure where the 20K is coming from. I think my price on the G23 is highly agressive and the price on the X-30 was maybe too high. Does 107K seem high for a full load x-30 with the 420HP motor?

But what do you care? The OP isn't shopping for a Tige, but I suppose he should be. Tige is world class in mesh seat technology. World class in 1990's tribal graphic technology, and world class in absolute boredom. Lets face it, the Z3 for example has generated no hype, is not known for surfing or wakeboarding, and sells at a world class pace of 2 a month.

When I was shopping for my X-30 I considered the Z3 (as well as the F24 & 23LSV). Had it been signifcaly cheaper I would have considered the Z3 more. I prefered almost everything about the X-30 but if the price was right, of course I could have been swayed. In the end, and to my surprise, the Tige dealer couldn't touch the price of the MC dealer on a comparable boat. There was no way I was going to pay MORE for a Tige. As well built as the boat is the styling, to me, is cheezy. All the shapes and graphics on the side of the boat do not go hand in hand with an $85k boat imo.

Check out the video posted above of a stock X-30 Wakeboard wake (only 1k ballast) in this video. Looks pretty legit, and throw in another 2k and it gets pretty sick. This boat has proven to be a great boat for the whole family.

Pretty sweet wake vman. I'm planning on testing the X-30 this summer so can you tell me how it is weighted please. Can the wake be great without any lead, no sacs on seats and and only a light weight driver and spotter sitting in the observer seat?

Is the boat sensitive when the verbally activated ballast moves around?

Great responses really. I am going G23 with 550HP XR. This way I can add bags in the massive storage areas and get an amazing wake. The MC X-30 was 107,000 and the G23 with similiar options was 112,000.00. Only 5,000 more. (I am at 117K on my G23 but I am into a 550HP now) I am not sure where the 20K is coming from. I think my price on the G23 is highly agressive and the price on the X-30 was maybe too high. Does 107K seem high for a full load x-30 with the 420HP motor?

I got a custom order x30 for 89k. Not loaded however.. I pay cash for boats so if I don't need it I don't want to pay for it... In all honesty I think all these wake boats are silly overpriced.

The best I could do on a G23 was 117k. Insane!

I am sure you will love the G23. It's an awesome machine! If the prices were equal I very likely would have gone with the G23 too! ... But I do love that convertible rear seat in x30.... Haha.. Congratulations OP! Where do you live? Ill help you dial that G23!

But what do you care? The OP isn't shopping for a Tige, but I suppose he should be. Tige is world class in mesh seat technology. World class in 1990's tribal graphic technology, and world class in absolute boredom. Lets face it, the Z3 for example has generated no hype, is not known for surfing or wakeboarding, and sells at a world class pace of 2 a month.

Mad bro?

Your hilarious "Pet Dander" . I haven't once mentioned a Tige. I have only mentioned a Malibu in this thread.The OP stated he wanted to compare a stock weighted MC vs CC . Then someone chimed in about a World Class Surf Wave.When i said that was a matter of opinion,you and others started trashing.It's just my opinion,as i have surfed behind MC,CC,Malibu,Centurion and my Tige. I never said which boats were World Class Surf wakes.You ASSUMED as usual you knew everything.Not Mad Bro,just pointing out what i said.Hope you can comprehend this.If not i can dumb it down some for you!

Your hilarious "Pet Dander" . I haven't once mentioned a Tige. I have only mentioned a Malibu in this thread.The OP stated he wanted to compare a stock weighted MC vs CC . Then someone chimed in about a World Class Surf Wave.When i said that was a matter of opinion,you and others started trashing.It's just my opinion,as i have surfed behind MC,CC,Malibu,Centurion and my Tige. I never said which boats were World Class Surf wakes.You ASSUMED as usual you knew everything.Not Mad Bro,just pointing out what i said.Hope you can comprehend this.If not i can dumb it down some for you!

There you go getting all defensive. Tige makes a great boat and you can be happy for that. Their graphics, or, graffix as the Tige demographic would call them are ahead of their time and they are to mesh as Malibu is to carpet. Agree to disagree.

Dreamer. You can create a superb surf wake with the 30 with no sacs on seats and no lead in the boat. We have 3 sacs on our boat and all are in the lockers (hidden). We do carry 250 lbs in lead bags, and we use these when switching sides. it is easy to move lead from side to side.

We now use the Straight Line Sumo Sacs. We put 900's in the back lockers and have an 850 under the port side bench seat. When we surf port side we fill port locker 900 (holds about 800) and the 850 under port side bench. We keep 5 50lb bags under corner pocket seat (these would not be necessary unless you plan on switching to goofy). We surf 90 percent of the time in this configuration and during the winter months it's usually just me and the better half.

On the rare occasion we need to go to the dark side, we will fill the star side 900 and move the lead to star side corner pocket.

We carry 2 pumps and setup time is 7 minutes, and 7 minutes to switch sides.

Davis. My apologies...it is actually the 800 (129081,Sumo V 800, 65"L x 18"W x 18"H)
It fits perfectly under the bench. This configuration gives you approximately 100-200 lbs more than the FH configuration. Which makes a big difference when it's just me and the wife. I think you will be fine with the 750's and if you want to go more it's probably a matter of simply swapping out a few fittings.